Diet and exercise 'can improve fertility'

Couples who are looking to improve their fertility rate have been advised to consider their diet and lifestyle.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston, a nutritionist for First Response, suggested that both men and women could improve their chances of having a child by watching what they eat.

She said that women should get down to a healthy weight through diet and exercise before they have a baby.

Reducing stress levels and getting plenty of sleep could also improve women's fertility.

But Ms Bishop-Weston highlighted how easy it was for men to make a difference too.

She said: "Male fertility is an area that is often ignored as it is wrongly considered that there is nothing which can be done. Male factors account for about 30-35 per cent of cases of fertility problems and nutritional therapy has shown a good success rate."

According to the nutritionist, getting plenty of antioxidants through fruit and vegetables and supplements is the best way for men to improve the health of their sperm.